# Successes for US non-profits in online fundraising for tsunami appeal

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2005/01/05/successes-us-nonprofits-online-fundraising-tsunami-appeal/
- Published: 2005-01-05T00:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Writing in his latest e-fund News, US online fundraising consultant Rick Christ 
reports on successes achieved by some US non-profits in fundraising online in response
to the Asian tsunami disaster.
Rick Christ reports that Childcare International,
a small child sponsorship organisation based in Bellingham, Washington, sent an 
email appeal one day after the disaster to the 800 supporters, about 25% of all 
their supporters, for whom they had email addresses. By the afternoon of the next
day (28 December) they had received $5,000 in pledges, or about $7 per email sent.

Mr Christ adds that “other organizations are reporting December giving totals from
three to ten times their projected amounts.”

One non-profit was even faster to respond. Mr Christ reports on an unnamed client
that got to work with his agency on an appeal on the day of the disaster. They authorised
NP Advisors to buy keywords on online advertising networks and to begin writing 
an email appeal to sponsors. “The keywords have produced over 34,000 visits to their
tsunami relief page to date, and together with the email they have raised about 
ten times their normal December amount online, mostly in the last few days of the
month”, reports Mr Christ. “The keywords have helped generate over 600 new online
donors to their cause.”

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While Mr Christ shares most fundraisers’ awe at the speed and scale of public generosity
in the wake of this disaster, he, like UK Fundraising, is not impressed with the
speed of some agencies to mount an effective appeal, especially online. “While this[
giving] is encouraging”, he writes, “it should also be noted that many nonprofits
were slow to start online efforts related to this disaster. Some were waiting from
orders from international headquarters, who in turn were waiting for word from the
field, as the magnitude of the disaster slowly emerged. Still other nonprofit managers
were on vacation in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day and let life pass
them by.”

 * **[US fundraising for Asian tsunami victims reaches $245 million](https://fundraising.co.uk/2005/01/06/us-fundraising-asian-tsunami-victims-reaches-245-million/)**(
   6 January 2005)
 * **[Christian Aid raises £700,000 online in nine days](https://fundraising.co.uk/2005/01/07/christian-aid-raises-700000-online-nine-days/)**(
   7 January 2005)
 * **[Guardian Christmas Appeal passes £1 million](https://fundraising.co.uk/2005/01/08/guardian-christmas-appeal-passes-1-million/)**(
   8 January 2005)